Just Pay Drew Brees Already

As a person who can tell you with little hesitation how to properly operate a Coinstar machine, I have very little sympathy for athletes when they don’t get the deals they want. But in the case of Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, I’m siding with their franchise QB and telling Tom Benson with a very stern finger-pointing: “Get a damn deal done already.”

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the Saints have had one hell of a terrible offseason with the whole thing-I-refuse-to-call-Bountygate scandal. Now they’re being investigated for violating the no-contact policy at OTAs, and that can all take a backseat for a few minutes if Saints fans just get the news that their beloved Brees is coming back for a few more seasons.

So what’s the f*cking hold up, fellas?

According to sources, before this week, the Saints’ last offer had been close to $19 million per year over five years, and Brees was asking for about $20.5 million per year.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported this week that Brees was asking for $20.3 million per year. It’s not clear if that was a new offer or just a different figure on the old offer.

The prediction today is the same as it has been for months. The sides ultimately will agree on a deal that will make Brees the highest-paid player in NFL history, surpassing the $19.2 million per year the Denver Broncos gave quarterback Peyton Manning earlier this offseason. (Via NOLA.com)

Okay, I’m gonna play Devil’s avocado here for a second – 5 years? The highest paid player in NFL history? Look, I love Brees. Always have. It still kills me that the Miami Dolphins chose Daunte Culpepper over him. But I will happily point out that he’s been the benefactor of a stable of awesome receivers these past few years. Yes, he means so much to the city, but the HIGHEST PAID PLAYER IN HISTORY??? He’s 33-years old!

But if the Saints don’t pay up, I have a feeling Brees will be just fine with his new sandwich shop. There’s always money in a sandwich shop.

Brees is holding out for his cheddar because he’s never gotten the MONSTER deal. He was a second round draft pick, got franchised, got hurt, got traded to the Saints, won a Super Bowl, and set a bunch of passing records. As of right now, Sam Bradford, Matt Stafford, and Matt Ryan have each made more money during their careers than Brees has during his.

Brees got 6 years $60 million when he signed the first time with the Saints, so it’s not like he is scrounging the cushions for change at the end of the week. That said. he deserves every cent he can get.

The Saints are going to be fielding an Interim Interim Head Coach to start the season, every hard tackle is going to get an obligatory Bountygate reference, and they are arguing with the face of the franchise over one million, five hundred thousand dollars?

You don’t have any barganing position here, Saints. Just suck it up and get #9 in there.